Sunday in Volterra

The first day at the conference site I woke up early and decided to take a look around Volterra. The night receptionist who was leaving was kind enough to drive me into town, since the conference place is 3 kilometers out of town in the countryside. Its very nice to be out in the country. Volterra is located on the top of a hill, and you have lovely views of the Valle di Cecina. The valley is heavily cultivated. There are lots of trees on the hill sides. There are nice oak trees, ciprese trees, and fig trees. I spent the day walking around the town. The town center attracts many local tourists a lot of whom are taking motorcycle trips. In the morning there are lots of cyclists and runners. I felt very comfortable walking around since most people were doing the same thing that I was. In Volterra there are a few museums, but I was very content to walk and relax outside taking pictures. At lunch time I was very brave and went into a sit down restaurant and tried to order some food. I didn't know that you are supposed to take your seat and wait to be served, so I just stood around and waited to be seated. I also was not sure if you are supposed to tip or not. Anyhow, I ordered an onion and tomatoe pasta dish with mushrooms. It was delicious. It surprised me that there were so many items on the list with mushrooms, it is a very popular food item. By 4 pm I was ready to go back to the conference site. There is a swimming pool here with an excellent view of the valley. I haven't gone swimming just yet, but I plan on it!